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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · suit · arm · clip · game · hand · sharp · dip

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. clip — for paper
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. game — wild animals
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — clever
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — in cards
  14. game — a match
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hand — in cards
  17. clip — a video
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. clip — to cut
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. suit — to fit
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com